Light modifiers or soft boxes are commonly used in the field of photography as a method to alter or change the shape of light projected from a light source and are commonly referred to as a soft box. Traditional soft boxes and their parts such as one that is illustrated in FIG. 28 have a reflective interior to help maximize light output from the light source and rods that create the form of the soft box. These rods are then placed into an adapter ring to keep the form of the soft box in place. These adapter rings are specific to each brand and type of light source meaning you must buy one adapter ring for each different type of light you own.
In recent years, light modifiers have been designed to include the adapter ring within the design making the light modifier one complete unit. However, the user is subject to only having the ability to use this product with one type of light source meaning the user would have to buy an entire second soft box with built-in adapter ring to work with a different brand or type of light. In addition, there is a second type of mounting bracket used for light sources commonly referred to as speed lights or flashes that differ in format from a traditional adapter ring. Thus, if a user desires to use a soft box with these types of lights, they must purchase an entire new soft box and mounting bracket.
Users of light modifiers like the ability to deflect the light that is projected into a soft box. By deflecting light, the user applies a plate or reflective object directly in front of the light source bouncing the projected light backwards. This projected light is then gathered towards the back of the soft box and projected forward around the deflector plate bouncing off the reflective interior of the soft box. This creates a soft center to the soft box with brighter outer edges providing lighting results commonly referred to as beauty dish lighting and is a desired lighting effect. Currently deflector plates are in the form of a large metal circular apparatus (FIG. 25) designed specifically per light source that cannot be used in tandem with a soft box or flat plates (FIG. 26) that are commonly held onto a light modifier through screws that can be easily misplaced.
The current soft boxes in the market all have the deficiency of not being universal to a variety of light sources, difficult set up of deflector plates or no deflector plate option, hard to assemble, store and transport. A user must either buy a separate adapter ring for each light modifier they wish to use or the user can buy a soft box with built-in adapter ring but will be required to buy an entire new unit if desiring to use this soft box on more than one type of light source. In addition, if the user wishes to create a beauty dish style lighting effect, they must either buy a metal round plate that does not work with their soft box or a separate plate for their soft box that is cumbersome to attach with screws that are easy to lose.